The truck market in India is cruising

The transport industry has grown in leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings in India. The Indian automobile market is the second largest in the world in terms of vehicles sold and is poised to be at pole position by 2020. While the overall automobile market is dominated by passenger vehicles, the commercial vehicles sector in India is dominated by trucks. Buses and three wheelers constitute the remaining part.

The truck in India was traditionally marked by companies tying up with a European or American motor company and manufacturing their models. The availability of skilled personnel and the rising demand ensured that more players entered the field. Now with India being the largest market for vehicles in the world every manufacturer has an eye on India.

Since Liberalization in the early 90’s, the entry of foreign players changed the entire scenario of the transport business. Faced with direct foreign competition, the Indian manufacturers had to radically redesign their product to remain competitive in the new market.

Companies like AMW, Navistar, Volvo, Daimler and Caterpillar have now set up operations in India. The Bhuj registered Asian Motorworks was in the news as their trucks won the Desert Storm Rally. AMW is also the world largest manufacturer of wheel rims. With an installed capacity of 1.5 crore rims per year, they supply rims to all Indian and global automobile manufacturers.

With the Golden Quadrilateral project being undertaken, the road transport sector in India has received a boost. Trucks are the main form of transport in India. Diesel is subsidized in India and most trucks have diesel engines. The recent years have seen the growth of the truck industry in India. Most companies have started offering trucks that have more power and better fittings than before. Now trucks have air conditioned cabins and ABS and power steering as standard fitments. Exposure to the global situation has ensured that the best technology is now being used to make Indian Trucks. AMW is one the latest players to enter the Indian market.

While the Gangetic plains and the Deccan plateau are well serviced by the railway network, states like Jammu and Kashmir, and the North East depend largely on trucks for supplies. The growth of multi axle trucks is also a pointer to the growth of the Indian economy. The commercial vehicle market in India was traditionally dominated by only two companies but now at least 5 new players have setup operations in India since 2005.

The Indian truck market has grown at 17 percent since 2005 and projections show that it will keep growing. 65 percent of the goods transport in India is done by truck. The sale of multi-axle trucks which range from 26.2-ton vehicles to 49-ton ones on the basis of gross vehicle weight have seen an unprecedented growth in sales which jumped 55% from 2009 to 2010. Demand for lighter commercial vehicles in the range of 3.5-16 tons was at 26%.

Johnvictor - About Author:John Victor is automotive professional and always looks for Auto Industry updates. Here he enlightens his experience on Trucks and how the Truck market in India is cruising.